


I Built a Friend

by Rosymusic7



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Based On An Alec Benjamin Song, How Do I Tag, Other, Song Lyrics, Suicide, Suicide Notes, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26020573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosymusic7/pseuds/Rosymusic7
Summary: Based on the song "I Built a Friend" by Alec Benjamin.A little boy builds a small robot and they become best friends. As they get older, they start to drift apart leading to a tragic end.Warning: contains suicidedon't read if this is harmful or distressing for you
Relationships: Original Male Character & Original Robot Character
Kudos: 1





	I Built a Friend

_ I built a friend _

_ With three pieces of plastic and a pen _

_ I made him on the table in the den _

_ I gave him my old cell phone for a head _

A phone screen flickered to life with a face appearing on it while a little boy stared at it intensely with anticipation. It had a pen attached as a body and plastic arms and legs sticking out of the pen as limbs. The child jumped off of his chair with glee as the tiny robot stood up from the table. “I did it! I did it! I did it!” he cheered. The boy turned back to his creation and the robot walked towards him cautiously. “Hello Pixel,” the child softly greeted. Pixel then pointed to him with beeping sounds as if to ask who he was. “My name is Shawn,” he introduced. There was a slight pause before asking Pixel, ‘Will you be my friend?” Pixel seemed pensive for a bit before nodding yes. 

_ And we spent  _

_ Holidays at my house and we left  _

_ Presents in a stocking and we bought  _

_ Bolts and things and strings and a new watch _

_ That’s what he got _

Their first Christmas was certainly one to remember. Shawn brought his friend the improvised stocking he made for Pixel. “Here you go buddy,” he offered to the confused robot. Inside were shiny bolts that Pixel loved to collect, strings that he loved to play with, and many more things that made him smile. “There’s actually one more present for you right under the tree,” the boy told the robot. After finding the present, Pixel opened it to find a new watch. He wore it as a belt ever since.

_ And we had so much fun together _

_ We knew we’d be friends forever _

_ And we had so much fun together _

_ We had so much fun _

As the boy grew up, they spent so much time playing together and having fun. There was never a moment when they were apart. One day, Pixel asked through writing if he and Shawn would be friends forever. After reading that Shawn laughed quietly before answering “Of course we’ll be friends forever no matter what happens.” Pixel happily beeped in response to his creator with a smile on his face. It felt like nothing would ever separate the two friends at all.

_ Then I left  _

_ For college in September and we wept  _

_ Cause we can’t be together so I kept  _

_ Pictures to remember my old friend _

The day Shawn had to leave for college wasn’t a happy one. Both he and Pixel cried as Pixel wasn’t allowed to go with Shawn so he had to stay behind. They decided to keep photos of each other so they would always remember each other while Shawn was gone. September came and neither of them were ready at all. Before Shawn left, he made a promise to Pixel that he would return home right after graduation. Pixel chirped sadly as he watched his best friend leave.

_ Then I met _

_ This girl at graduation and forget  _

_ My oldest creation and I guess _

_ I’ll see him next vacation send my best _

Shawn felt the excitement pumping through his veins. As his name was called, he rushed on stage to grab his diploma and crashed into someone while getting off the stage. Before Shawn could apologize, he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. “Um… Hello,” he mumbled, “I’m Shawn.” Soon the two of them began to date and little by little Shawn forgot about the promise he made with Pixel. He believed that the little robot would be fine without him for just a bit longer.

_ And we had so much fun together _

_ We knew we'd be friends forever _

_ And we had so much fun together _

_ We had so much fun _

When Pixel heard about the graduation, he was so happy. Shawn was going to come home as he promised. However, weeks passed and there was no sign of Shawn. The robot got more anxious every day and thought back to the time he spent with his creator. After all, they had so much fun together and Shawn said they’d be friends forever no matter what. So there was no way he would break his promise because then he’d be lying. Maybe there was something that was delaying him and he was just going to be late.

_ I came home _

_ To find him on the table with a note _

_ Scribbled out in pencil and he wrote _

_ That wasn’t stable all alone _

Shawn was finally home. He couldn’t wait to see where he grew up and catch up with Pixel after being away for so long. He expected to see a little robot running to say hi. Instead what he saw was something that shocked him to his core: Pixel laying down on the table unresponsive with a note nearby.

Dear Shawn,

If you found this note then I’m already dead. You said you would come home when you graduated but you never did. So I waited for you to come but I wasn’t stable being alone without you. You were my best friend and you never came. Did you forget about me? Did you move on? I never did and I couldn’t handle it anymore. 

Goodbye Shawn.

Sincerely, Your Best Friend, Pixel

_ Next to him _

_ An empty glass of water that he split _

_ All over the body that I built _

_ It fizzled and it popped and then it killed _

Pixel was laying in a puddle of water next to a tipped over glass. When he split the water all over him, his body began to spasm as the water messed with his wires and circuitry. The robot fizzled and popped in agony before the phone screen flickered out with a sad face displayed as it disappeared. The watch Pixel wore stopped when he died. It was only a few minutes later when Shawn came home and discovered the body.

_ And we had so much fun together _

_ We thought we'd be friends forever _

_ And we had so much fun together _

_ We had so much fun _

_ I built a friend _

Shawn kept Pixel’s remains in a tissue box so that he could still be with his first friend. He could’ve fixed the robot but it filled him with too much sorrow to see Pixel at all. Shawn only fixed the watch to remind him of the fun he and Pixel had together when they thought they would be friends forever. It was so much fun when he built a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> When I listened to this song for the first time, I cried my eyes out until I couldn't cry anymore. I still do and I wanted to write the narrative I usually think of when I listen to this song. The interpretation of the song is up to you and please respect the thoughts/opinions of others in the comments. Have a nice day.


End file.
